Opinion | Beating up the baddies: how martial arts hero Jet Li will overcome his toughest adversary – devastating illness
The star of Lethal Weapon 4 and Once Upon a Time in China is likely to beat hyperthyroidism because he has beaten the odds and come back before
Lights, camera, action. Jet Li Lianjie is resting in hospital recovering from serious injuries after falling from a 12-foot tower during a fight scene on the set when his manager whispers into his ear.
“Get well, Jet. We begin shooting for another movie soon and the stunts come first.”
Well, the scene didn’t actually happen, but it could well have after Li suffered a serious left ankle fracture, a couple of broken ribs and internal injuries in falling from a high tower during the filming of Chinese-Hong Kong martial arts hit Fearless in 1986. And he had to quickly come back from that setback because the movie studio was counting on him.
“Once the camera started rolling he [the stuntman] wanted to do the action sequence quickly rather than do it in 10 moves. He just pushed him [Li] and they both fell and missed the mattresses. Luckily they fell on grass and soft mud,” said Fearless film director Ronny Yu at the time.
Years later, the 55-year-old recalled how his old injuries still rankle him. But he hasn’t let it become an excuse to stop him from continuing on his other projects.
“Physically and mentally, sometimes I feel tired. The biggest enemy is yourself,” he said.